Process of transforming oxids of carbon into organic compounds, particularly methanol



Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTO SCHMIDT AND JOHANNES UFER, OF LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-RHTNE, G RMANY, ASSIGNOBS TO I. G. FARBENINDUSTRIE AKTIENGESELLSCHAIT, OF FRANHORT- ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY PROCESS OF TBANSFORMING OXIDS OF CARBON INTO ORGANIC COMPOUNDS,

PARTICULARLY METHANDL R Drawing. Application filed April 29, 1924, Serial No. 709,759},

We have found be readily transformed and with good yield into organic compounds, particularly methanol by passing them in mixture with hydrogen or gases containing hydrogen, at an elevated temperature andpressure over catalysts containing mixtures of two or more metals, the oxids of which are readily reducible to metal by means of hydrogen and which do not belong to the platinum group.

owever, iron, nickel and cobalt should not be present in the catalytic masses as the said metals are .highl deleterious to the formation of methano ganic compounds and would promote the formation of methane and other undesirable reactions. We direct attention to the patent of Mittasch and Pier, Serial N 0. 735,823, Patent N 0. 1,569,775, in which the exclusion of iron has been broadly claimed. As oxids of such metals we mention copper, silver, lead, cadmium and also such metals, the oxids of which can be readily reduced, for example by means of hydrogen, in'the speclal mixture employed. Thus, for instance, zinc oxid is readily reduced in the presence of copper. The contact masses may also contain other additions, for example a small amount of potassium carbonate, also suitable supports and so on. The process can be suitably carried out at temperatures of between 200 and 350 degrees centigrade, but

still higher or lower temperatures may also be used in some cases, the speed of the reaction being increased by the'use of higher temperatures. The pressure may range from 100 atmospheres u wards, though lower pressures are also suita le. The reater the pressure the higher the quantity 0 gases undergoing reaction in a unit of tune. The most suitable gas mixtures are those contaming a theoretical amount of hydrogen calculated on the oxid of carbon present or an excess of hydrogen over said quantity.

The process is more fully illustrated by the that oxids of carbon can and other oxygenated or and in Germany April 80, 1923.

following example to which however the invention is not limited.

Example A dilute aqueous solution containing molecular proportions of copper nitrate for each one molecular proportion of zinc nitrate is precipitated while hot by tion of potassium carbonate. The carbonates formed are filtered off, carefully washed and dried. The powdery mass is then made into a paste with an addition of 5 per cent, by weight, of sugar and about per cent, by weight, of a 30 or per cent formaldeh de solution and if necessary a little water. e paste is then dried, broken into pieces and reduced with dry hydrogen at between 250 degrees and 300 degrees centi rade. Over the contact mass thus prepare a dry mixture of about 1 volume of pure carbon monoxid with about 9 volumes of hydrogen is passed at about 300 degrees centigrade and a pressure of 150 atmospheres. leaving the apparatus are cooled, while maintaining the pressure, and liquid methanol separates out with good yield. The contact mass may also be brought'into any desired shape or applied to a suitable support, or any other proper modification may be made. Other contact masses may be employed in a similar way, for example such as contain two or more of the metals copper, silver, lead, zinc, cadmium or others in varying percentages. Carbon monoxid may replaced wholly or in part by carbon dioxid with also very good results, and other gases, for example nitrogen, may also be present.

The inventors in this application do not claim to have invented broadly the exclusion or iron and nickel from the catalytic reaction. That invention is shown and claimed in United States Letters Patent 1,569,775, and is the invention of the inventors named in that patent and was disclosed to the applicants in the present application before the adding a solu- 1 perature and pressure over invention of the present application was made.

What we claim is 1- 1. The process of converting oxids of carbon into organic compounds, particularly methanol, which comprises passing an oxid of carbon with hydrogen at an elevated tema contact mass containing about ten parts of copper to one art of zinc. E a

2. The process of converting oxids of carbon into organic compounds, particularly methanol, which comprises passing an oxid of carbon with hydrogen at a temperature of about 300 C. and a pressure of about atmospheres over a contact mass containing copper and zinc in the approximate proportions of ten to one.

In testimony whereof they hereunto aifix their signatures.

OTTO SCHMIDT. J OHA'NNES UFER. 

